Create Your Own Sunshine.

Happy weekend, my lovelies! I can honestly say that this week has been the most mentally taxing in my career vacation adventure, yet so full of sunshine. I won't burden you with the seedy details, but I will share some things I have learned.  But, first....behold....the final photo and the spring version of my hair pictures with Kel-Z Photography.  Rose petals, pink, sunshine in Ogden, happy Ray.  I loved shooting this one because the sunshine was peaking through the trees and we had to get a little creative to make it just right and not too glary (totally a word) and squinty. 

Life tends to make us glary and squinty at times.  I try really hard not to play my redhead cranky bitch card ALL the time, but man, it's not easy when life is turned upside down and I just want to crawl in a hole and cry.  I've had a lot of people tell me that I've handled this latest adventure with grace and poise.  Oh, if only that were true.  I mean, my life seems pretty super awesome on social media because I get to sleep in and do whatever the hell I want; however, that is such a sliver of my life.  In reality, it has been a ginormous test of my coping skills that I learned in organized therapy as well as a religious fundamental test to the nth degree.

There is a hymn in the Mormon hymnbook that has the following line, "when sore trials come upon you, did you think to pray?"  Whenever I sing the song and come to that line I think about the long list of prayers that have been said by me and for me when I have had sore trials in my life.  I am always a little leary when people say "we're praying for you!" because I tend to question it with some, especially on social media, because it can come across trendy and fake.  But, when I see blessing after blessing falling out of the sky and the sunshine that lands in my lap, I have to eat my words and ask for forgiveness because then I know someone (probably everyone) is praying for me.

This week I learned a really great lesson about creating my own sunshine.  I am a creature of habit (thanks, Mom), but at some point the MUNDANE of habit gets to me and I take a polar opposite approach and go a tid bit batty.  I'm sure you can relate.  Be honest with yourself....we all have that in us about something.  Dishes?  Cleaning the guest bathroom?  Sorting socks?  Anyway, my biggest survival method during all of this adventure has been routine.  As much routine as I can have to stay on task, but this week all of my usual routine was so painful.  I picked up the phone to call my mom and this is what she said, "You need a change of scenery adventure. Your usual routine is making you crazy (ier) so figure out a way to change it up so that you don't go nuts this week.  As soon as she said that I started thinking about coping mechanisms that I haven't used a lot during this adventure, but have worked in the past.  At the top of this list is coloring.  I am talking about straight up kiddie coloring in a princess coloring book with fresh new Crayola crayons.  Let me show you....

The change of scenery adventure that day turned in to a grand scavenger hunt of super secret locations that I knew nothing about before that day.  I was incredibly grateful for my tour guide that sent me to some of the most beautiful places in our area. I was also grateful for a new Disney Princess coloring book and a peaceful spot to color away my troubles.  Who says Cinderella, Snow White and Sebastian the Crab don't cure the crazies?  Like I said before, if there was ever any doubt that prayers weren't being said and answered on my behalf, times like this proved me wrong.  Oh. So. Wrong.  

The second coping mechanism that I haven't taken a lot of advantage of during this adventure is being around kiddos.  I've seen my auntie loves a few times in the last five months, but not a ton and I was starving for the simplicity and hilariousness of kid world.  Lucky for me, I happen to know a super cool kindergarten teacher with the BEST group of 5 year-olds and she has been quick and grateful to have me in her classroom to volunteer and participate.  This week I spent 3 days in kindergarten.  To most that sounds insanely exhausting (IT IS), but for me it was so much sunshine.  There is absolutely no time to be worried about the future when you have cute faces telling you how pretty you look (apparently they DO notice when I put on my eyebrows and mascara), hugging you at random and letting you test them on ABC's, numbers and sight words as well as lead a construction paper craft with googly eyes (eek!).  And let's be honest, there is a lesson to be learned when you have a little person who has a meltdown over glue stick and you think, "Honey, you're 5.  Your life is glorious and gives no reason for tears over glue.  Let's stop crying and continue on with the craft."  

When I knew that this moment of sunshine was a true gift from God was on Thursday when a student presented me with a thank you note and treat from his mom that thanked "Miss B's fantastic friend" for being in the classroom in her absence.  As I stood there and read it I had to hold back the tears (there's no crying in kindergarten) and it made my whole week.  So much sunshine right here, my lovelies.  So very much.  

The cure to my inner uneasiness this week really was crayons, super secret change of scenery adventures, mamma thank yous, cute kiddos of the 5 year-old kind and SO MANY construction paper Pete the Cats with googly eyes (someday I will write a whole post about the joy I find in googly eyes).  

The future is bright and my emotional bucket is filled because I took some sound mamma advice to heart.  Shhhh....don't tell her I admitted she was right on social media.  

The moral of the story:  Sunshine doesn't just come from the sky.  It comes from all around us and can turn an upside down week right side up in NO time.  

Until next time, my lovelies.  

-R

The Atlas of Love.

In life it is either feast or famine for me.  I'm a hopeless cause for balance some days and sometimes I just throw all care and worry to the wind and tell myself "it could be worse, I could be a dangerous addict of some kind."  Might sound a bit harsh, but I find it rather amusing (most days).  In the last year I have read more books than I have in the last 5 years.  College fried my brain and my love for reading and it has taken me this long (10+years) to recover and find my reading bug again.  While I was exiting my last career, the stress was SO HIGH.  I would come home at night and want to crawl in a ball and cry, but knew that wasn't always the answer.  I started to see some great book recommendations on Instagram and Facebook and started to read again on my iPad.  I'm a big dork about reading and if it makes my eyes hurt or I can't see the words, I won't do it. **old lady status** The beauty of my iPad is a bright, back light that means I can read in my bed, in the dark.  Perfection.  The last two books I read have been actual hard-copy books, but only because of a random chain of events, including a new light bulb in my lamp.....don't ask.....  The first book I am going to save for a 2nd edition of Beachy Reads & Sunshine Dreams, but the second gets its own post.  Read on, my lovelies!

Do you ever walk into the dollar store and stroll past the books and wonder if it's all crap or if there might be something worth reading hiding in the pile that will only cost you a buck?  On occasion I do, and the last time this happened was when in Idaho visiting my Jo bestie.  She was picking up a few items at the dollar store and the books were in the front of the store...bonus!  I started to dig through them and this book popped out at me.  As you know from my post about Sarah Boucher's book, "Becoming Beauty", I am a sucker for a pretty cover.  I shout praises to authors who have publishers with art departments that know what their doing with cover art.  I mean, I'm only one person, but I take the cover in to serious consideration when deciding whether or not to read a book. 

The front of the book says the following, "This story of women's friendships and redefining 'family' flows with lovely writing."  I could end my review right now because the person who said it was spot on.  But, I'm not!  

There were five themes in this book that I want to briefly address.  They are: friendship, faith, fear, family and love.  

Friendship:  The Atlas of Love is centered around the friendship of 3 graduate students in Seattle.  Talk about three different personalities and family structures too.  The reader quickly realizes that opposites do attract and these three girls are miraculously besties because they are SO different.  The biggest irony of this book is that one of the main characters is Mormon and she's kind of a weirdo.  I can say that because I was raised Mormon and I could tell that the author was very well-versed in her quirky Mormon.  Still so funny, but probably more so because I could relate to it better and have known LOTS of women over the years very similar to this character....let's just leave it there.  The entire premise of this book is friendship through thick, thin, sad, happy, angry and repeat over and over.  

Faith:  As I said earlier, there is a blatant reference to faith because of the Mormon main character, but she does not dominate the faith discussion.  Throughout the book, there is much deliberation about faith in life, faith in God, faith in humanity and faith in what is meant to happen.  Who can relate to that more often than you care to admit?  **pick me, pick me**

Fear:  This book involves a baby.  It involves a baby that is a BIG surprise and thus enters a boat load of fear from numerous characters.  How do you process when life throws you a curve ball that you didn't see coming?  How do you process when life throws you a curve ball that you DID see coming?  That's the toughie for me personally.  Knowing that the end is inevitable because the writing is on the wall so you brace yourself for the impact.  Fear of the future presents itself in numerous forms throughout the book as they deal with an unexpected pregnancy, some broken loves, balancing life and the mourning and coping that goes along with it.  

Family: As I quoted above, the book talks about redefining family.  Without giving too much away (ok, I'll give away as much is on the back cover), these three girls take on the raising of the baby boy who is named Atlas.  They affectionately call it tri-parenting and it sort of works.  They are all insanely busy graduate students so they make the decision that the only way this little boy can have a relatively normal life, given the circumstances, is for them to commit to be mothers together.  It really is a heartwarming and delightful concept in theory, but they soon find that the mamma bear a.k.a. she who cooked and birthed said child is still the final say in all decisions made about Atlas.  One of the things that really touched my heart was the passion that came from the two friends who weren't the biological mothers, but dedicated their lives as if they were his mother.  In addition to their commitment to this little boy, their families also committed to being adoptive grandparents and everything that accompanied these roles.  I related well because I am the proud adoptive aunt of lots of little people who I fiercely love as much as my biological nephews and niece.  Motherhood hasn't been my adventure yet and I am so grateful for the little humans who call me Auntie Ray who aren't biological, but who I love like they were from day one.  

Love: The backbone of any great story is love and this is no exception.  Love is kind, love is selfless, love is patient and love is tough.  And when I say tough, I mean both kinds--the enduring and the challenging.  I know from personal experience that the more deeply we love the more deeply we hurt.  It seriously sucks when it doesn't go in our favor, but it is also the most rewarding and beautiful gift to have in life.  My heart runneth over when I see the beautiful, giggly faces of my nephews and niece via FaceTime and even more so when I get barrel-hugged (a real word) when I see them in person.  The human heart and soul has infinite capacity to love if we will let it.  I will be the first to admit that I am one who can easily put my heart in the deep freeze and let it sit on ice for an indefinite time, but I don't like how it makes me feel.  I want to love and be loved, thus I take risks and embrace my ability to feel the way I feel and live life as it comes.  

The quote above is near the end of the book and it really inspired me.  Not too long ago I referenced "The End" really meaning "The Beginning" and I think this quote attests to that as well.  When we have loved then we can come to the close of a moment and begin the next set of amazing moments.  Love is our focus.  Love can and will continue to reclaim us if we will let it.  And just as this quote says there will be anger AND love, with hefty helpings of both, but love will always win.  I will say it again....love will win if we LET it.  Anger is hella toxic and it can eat you alive and burn your insides if you let it.  Take the time to let friendship, faith, family and love heal your heart because when love is in the air, the next chapter is about to begin.  

The moral of the story:  All you need is love.  The Fab Four knew what they were talking about.  Trust it and let it reclaim you.  

Until next time, my lovelies!

-R

Raising Girls

Tonight I was the co-hostess for my dear friend's baby shower. She and her

husband were surprised with this pregnancy and they are pleased to have a little girl on the way. She is 38 and this is baby #5 so I insisted on a party. I may have gone over budget and I am not ashamed. I haven't bought anything pink and cutesy in years. And deep in my heart I look forward to my turn to birth a daughter. Yep. I said it.

I haven't talked a lot about my mom because she is funny about social media exposure, but I feel it is necessary. She can get over it after she reads this post. It hasn't been easy being the daughter to this woman. I am the oldest and she was young when I was born. She even admits that she kind of felt like a failure when I was still a baby so she had my brother quick to prove that she didn't completely suck at motherhood. She and I didn't see eye-to-eye for a lot of years and it was rough. However, this mamma bear was adamant that her kids were educated and they knew the facts of life. We may have been scared shitless to mess up but we knew choices brought consequences and that we had to work hard to be successful. Now there are lots of regrets in fights and statements that were made but forgiveness is real and there have been some pretty major trials and experiences for both of us that have helped us grow. 

It is not easy for a woman who had 5 hooligan brothers to raise 3 daughters. It is also not easy to raise girls when the oldest is a redhead, the middle is a feisty free spirit and the youngest is an angel from God. We are the Motley Crüe of whatever. But. We are passionate. We are deeply commited to our family, our sweethearts and our country because our mom is to hers. With that I give further insight.

Family: My mom is very very devoted to her family both living and deceased. She's a family history nut and as a result we know all sorts of information about the living and the dead. Additionally, she absolutely loves her parents, her brothers, her sisters-in-law and her grandbabies. I have never set foot at Disneyland because any available family vacation time was spent with her family. They are loud, redneck, very Republican but oh so incredible. And we are content with a package of hot dogs, some buns and a fire, as long as we are together. 

Love: My mom made the decision to be a homemaker from day 1 of her life as a mother. She raised us with a passion for musicals, opera and family history, among other things. We also knew that she had fallen short of a bachelors degree to raise kids and it always bothered her that her education wasn't complete. So she insisted that all her children, especially her girls. would be educated. It just was not an option to give up in the middle. It was a proud day for me to see her graduate with her bachelors degree a week after I did. She has always been a devoted wife to my quirky adorable dad. The older I get and the more relationships I have the funnier it is to see how their relationship ticks. They are a crack up, but a good match. 

Country: Without doubt I can credit my love for this country and its flag because of my mom. We knew when ALL the flag-flying holidays were and why they existed. We also knew that both our parents were faithful voters and I was most excited about turning 18 so I could have my turn at the polls. The right to our opinion was and still is a sacred one and she was proud of us as we exercised  that right.

We are living in an extremely different time than when I was a kid. Our girls are exposed to muck and smut all day long from so many different avenues. If you think that you can protect your daughters from it all YOU ARE WRONG. At one click of a button she can see every which way to do whatever and whenever. We need to teach our girls to know their boundaries and stand their ground in school, work, relationships and the polls. If we are teaching the fundamental wisdom that choices bring consequences and being REAL about what those actually mean it will be ok. And even if they mess up they will rebound and come back. I am deeply upset when I see things that fly across the news that take away the right to choose for women. I am a Mormon and I just said that in print. Get over it. And I'm not talking about abortion or birth control so don't jump to conclusions. And ya, that may cause you to roll your eyes, but ultimately we need to have the right to dictate our own lives and the choices we make are our business. If we make it our life's mantra to live and let live, I know that we will be greatly enriched by everyone who is going after the same goal: to make it another day and not go bat shit crazy. It's pretty simple. 

The moral of the story: much to her surprise my mom raised awesome daughters who are a lot more like her than they will EVER admit out loud. 

Until next time, my lovelies!

-R

Thrifting, Genetics and Pinwheels

In true "game of threes" fashion, I am happy to share the story behind this outfit. However, it is safe to say that these 3 randoms are actually very much connected. Read on, my lovelies for an installment of fashion feature a la Monday. 

First and foremost, with the exception of the accessories, this outfit is thrifted from top to bottom. AND it all came from the same Deseret Industries on the SAME day!!! It was a glorious day. On Mother's Day weekend I told myself I would have a completely selfish weekend because I was burnt out and needed some me time. So I had what I deemed a "freedom adventure" weekend. Day 1 was spent thrifting. The MuuMuu turned awesome outfit was from that day too! Like I said it was glorious. One thing that is always completely ridiculous, frustrating and funny at the same time is how genetics get in the way of outfits looking like they're supposed to. You're probably thinking, "duh, nothing EVER looks like it does on the model." My biggest body issue is called long torso. Well long torso, broad shoulders and "ladies" that just make it difficult to find tops that work. And so I usually spend a good portion of my dressing room time rolling my eyes and saying, "oh what a lovely tunic that has a tag that says it's a dress." This outfit was just such an occasion and I had purchased another top in the last couple of weeks that was CLEARLY a dress and on me it's a tunic. Super. How do I make it work? I create a two-piece outfit look. Generally, the best way to make this happen and look good is with a straight skirt on the bottom. And with this outfit I made sure to include a belt so that I accentuated the smallish waist line and drew the eye to the curves and not the imperfections. 

Along with being a completely gorgeous and sunshiney day, today is Memorial Day here in America. Memorial Day is a day for us to remember our loved ones who have passed on as well as the men and women who have fought for the freedoms of America. This spring my mom told me that my great-great grandma, Maud Ellen, was buried in the Ogden Cemetary. This is a significant bit of information because this woman is my hair sake. I am the ONLY one on both sides of my immediate family who has the exact color of my hair. As a child it bugged me when people asked me where it came from or the side of the family. Then one day my great-grandma said to me, "your hair reminds me of my mother. Her hair was that exact color and I love it." It made my day/life and I've always felt a serious devotion to this woman. I make a lot of trips to the cemetery now just to feel the peace and connection with this woman. There have been tears but there have also been some really spiritual experiences between a girl and her grandma. From feisty redhead to feisty redhead. And the genetics that I referenced above come from this woman's side of the genetic line. BONUS! Or something like that. It was truly an honor to make the trip to the cemetary after church yesterday and see flowers already at her and my grandpa's grave (meaning other family members had been there) and to leave my signature memoral item: a pinwheel. I hate fake flowers and real flowers die so I leave a pinwheel. And somehow the beauty of a pinwheel as it is hit with a bit of wind is symbolic of life and of death and of the process of grieving. And so it is. My game of threes which are oh so related. 

The moral of the story: we are blessed beyond measure to have generations that came before us with the will and drive and super genetics to make our life possible. 

Until next time, my lovelies! 

-R

Put on Your Service Shoes & GO!!!

Fashion Feature - Sanuks

It’s been a mentally taxing week in my world which is why the blog has been a bit quiet.  If you read my previous post you know that I was out of town last weekend for a family event and I’m always a bit of a zombie when I get home from travelling.  Laundry-sort of done, sort of not folded, kitchen – sort of mopped, dishes sort of not loaded in the dishwasher, floors – sort of vacuumed, but sort of not.  You get the picture.  But, I’ve had more important things on my mind.  Service and the Friday fashion feature go hand-in-hand this week. 

Last week, my dear friend had the gut and heart wrenching reality of a child who attempted to end her own life.  This family has become some of my dearest friends since moving to the ‘hood and this particular child has been one whom I have loved from the beginning.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE all of them, but for some reason she is just fabulous.  But she definitely has her struggles.  It is so hard to witness because I do get it, from all sides, on a very small scale.  As I was driving out of the state last Friday, I received a message that the decision was made to admit her to an in-patient scenario due to the severity of the situation.  I have an extremely empathetic heart and I feel pain for other people regularly.  It can really get the best of me and I have to keep it in check, but it is how I’m programmed.  I thought about my friend’s family all weekend and prayed that all would be well when I returned to Utah.  When I rolled into town on Sunday evening, there weren’t a lot of answers and everything was VERY uneasy.  At minimum her stay would be 5 days which would put her coming home on Wednesday.  Monday afternoon I was sitting in my office trying to decide what to do next (mostly busy work) and I took a peek at my Facebook for a minute.  My friend had posted that she needed help with something she couldn’t do.  I sent her a message and this was her reply, “I need to clean her room so that it isn’t harmful in any way when she gets home and I just can’t bring myself to do it.”  Pit in my stomach.  BIG PIT.  Breathe in, breathe out.  I dropped what I was doing, left work early and sent a message that I was on my way with dinner for the other kidlets.  My friends are my family and this was absolutely necessary.  That night was one of the most humbling experiences I’ve had in a really long time.  It was one of those moments when you have to say a LOT of prayers just to get in the car.

So…. Here’s the FASHION part….I put on my big girl panties and my services shoes….my trusty Sanuks.

Last year I was introduced to Sanuks at the Ogden Marathon.  I purchased a pair of flip flops from a local vendor and I could not stop wearing them.  HELLO, comfortable.  When I pulled up their name on Amazon I soon found that they had all sorts of styles and I needed some more!!  I found a polka dotted pair (WINNING) that looked more like hippie, surfer shoes, but they were on sale so I couldn’t help it.  That’s my answer for a lot of things.  *DISCLAIMER -- bad idea* 

According to Sanuk’s website, “we strive to make products that are as much about fun and funk as they are about function. We've found that our feet are happiest when they tread the road less traveled- so we design our sandals accordingly! Because “Sanuk” is the Thai word for fun and happiness, our name is also our mantra.” (www.sanuk.com)

Well, there ya go!  Fun, funk and function.  Those are three things that are almost always and should be involved when service is on the agenda.  Volunteering our time is always a big sacrifice, but also donating our heart and energy to a cause that is probably less-fortunate that our own is taxing too.  But, we know that with a good pair of shoes we can accomplish ANYTHING!  In the last 2 months I’ve had the opportunity to wear my Sanuks for a number of different service events and it just makes me happy!  My tootsies are comfy so I can serve more.  Bonus!

I will add that as of blog composition (Thursday-ish), my friend’s daughter is still in the hospital and life is still very uneasy, but they are coping and conquering every day one-at-a-time.  Life is hard.  Life is a cluster of a few too many “what the hell" moments, but it is also FULL of sunshine and opportunities to serve others.

The moral of the story:  We can do ANYTHING, bring sunshine to others during our own storms and hippie surfer shoes, with a funny name, have superpowers at my house.

Until next time, my lovelies!
-R

Come Together. Right now.

I spent the weekend with my crazy wonderful family in Idaho. My lovely cousin, Mya, married her sweetie in a gorgeous outdoor wedding. It was a whirlwind weekend that was a Mötley Crüe of families from multiple marriages and the common denominator was our Mya. It was pretty awesome. 

One of the things I cherish most about this side of the family is how simple we are. We don't need a big production to make memories. Really all we need is a boatload of hot dogs, a camp fire and a swimming pool. The photo above was taken by my cousin, Allie. I couldn't have done a better job. This pool is the center of our family. My great-grandparents had it and my mom and her brothers learned how to swim in this pool. My brother and I were fortunate enough to have some swimming lessons with our incredible great-grandpa before he passed away. And now, the children, grandchildren and great grandchildren continue to enjoy great moments in the pool. On Friday night we were in the pool well past sundown and we laughed and shared stories and bonded. Again. That night as I was laying in bed I had an overwhelming sense of gratitude for my simple, redneck, loud, loving relatives. We party like rock stars and we know it. And then I read this status update by my Allie. "Mya gets married tomorrow. So what do we do? Have a giant get together and roast hot dogs and swim. Who needs a fancy rehearsal dinner when you have an awesome family like this?" I will never feel comfortable in a big production hoopty-doo setting. I hate it actually. If there has to be brovado we aren't trying hard enough to really get to know each other. 

I also want to say how blessed I am to be the oldest cousin and really the "mostly aunt" to so many little people. I remember being so bent as a kid that I didn't have cousins my age but now I am overwhelmed with the pure JOY that I experience with these cousins. I can't get enough of them. The kisses and the teasing and the sweet baby smiles keep me going. I was especially touched when I was leaving my aunt and uncle's house on Saturday night and my darling cousin ran out the door and yelled, "I love you!!" And then she fell asleep in my lap the next day at church. Adore her. Adore all of them. 

The moral of the story: the memories we make with our family are critical. They don't have to include fancy places or fancy decorations, but they do need go include lots of laughter and "I love you." 

Until next time, my lovelies!

-R

Happy Auntiversary!

I recently celebrated my 5 year auntiversary. It's hard to believe that it's been that long since I laid eyes on the little person who would change my heart forever. 

I'm the oldest of four and when my brother got married and I was still single, it was hard. It's a lot of pressure to be the oldest sib who is single in a culture that is centered around family and babies. 

The year neph #1 was born was probably one of the toughest in my career. Well, the first of a few. I was laid off from my job and had spent 3 grueling months looking for something new. However, because I was unemployed, I had the ability to go and stay with my brother and SIL for a week. Those days are some of my most treasured. We arrived at their house quite late and it just happened to be feeding time. My brother brought me that little red butterball and when I looked at him for the first time it was love at first sight. I am so blessed to be the aunt of three little people who are just fabulous. We have great fun and their little personalities crack me up. And it's fun to see my brother interact with his kids. And I'm not going to lie, I giggle to myself when they do something "naughty" that they totally get from him. He'll have his chance for that when I'm a mother, but in the meantime, I just sit back and laugh inside. My SIL is such a good mom and amazes me with the fun parties she throws for them. 

And when it's all said I done, I MELT when handwritten thank you notes land in my mail box. Kiddos being raised very well. 

I hope that we can all appreciate those sweet simple moments when sloppy kisses are better than anything and can carry us through the tough days. 

Until next time, lovelies!

-R

Hunting and Fishing

In true #tbt form and because my last posts have been pretty heavy, it's time to laugh and remember yesteryear. 

The year was 2001. The month was August. The bags were packed and a small town girl was leavin on a jet plane to the land of the unknown: college. Away from home college. Virginia. Aw sweet har raising, sweaty-humid Virginia. 

In order to fly anywhere normal and semi-civilized from Montana one must connect in Salt Lake. And in those days (like I'm ancient) there were about 3 direct flights on Delta and they were morning, noon and nightish. Upon arriving at the airport I would usually head to the newsy store to purchase a mag and a snack. But this time, I decided to look at the books. Airports keep the New York Times Bestsellers stocked and this book JUMPED out at me. A girl in a red coat with cute boots?! The book has to be good! And with a title referencing hunting and fishing? How in the hell could I not buy it???! Little did I know. Best. Book. Ever. And funny. And random. And not about hunter orange anything. Thank GOOODNESS. I read that book from cover to cover in a few days and it definitely taught me a few things. Like how to be sarcastic as hell (didn't need much help) and that falling in love isn't about loving the obvious choice because of age, means, religious background, list of habits, list of quirks. It's about loving the person that makes you laugh and challenges you and helps you feel sexy. 

Melissa Bank's style of writing had me laughing in one chapter and tears in the next and taking notes in the next. By the end of the book I was so all over the place that when she brought it full circle as to why she titled it what she titled it, I CHEERED!!! 

I can still see myself sitting on the lavish front porch of the Hall I lived in giggling like a giddy girl as I read about Archie and Jules and their parties in the study.... good stuff. 

I've read it at least once a year since the day I bought it and I have two copies: one to share and one to keep nice.  Throughout the book there are snippets of wisdom. This is one of my favorites. 

Read it. You'll be glad you did. And just remember: we all have an Archie in our life. I did. And he was and probably still is my secret love.

Until next time, my lovelies!

-R